Convenience outlet for lighting fixtures



R. w. SCHWEIKER CONVENIENCE OUTLET FOR LIGHTING FIXTQRES Patented Aug. 21,1928.

ROY W. SCHWEIKER OF LANSDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONVENIENCE OUTLET FOR LIGHTING FIXTURES.

Application filed March 8, 1926. Serial No. 93,291.

This invention relates to convenience outlets for lighting fixtures.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide side wall lighting fixtures, for instance, with supplemental, plug-in, outlets to enable cur rent to be taken ofi', for use in connection with a curling iron, electric fan, water heater, or other appliance, such outlets being known as convenience outlets. A fixture provided with such an outlet has slots through its base so that the terminals of the plug can be in serted therethrough to make contact with the terminals of an electric outlet located at the back of the base of the fixture.

The general purpose of such outlets is to arrange the terminals so that they cannot be touched by the fingers of aperson and, at the same time, to suitably insulate them, without interfering with the accessibility of the terminals for plugging-in purposes.

When the convenience outlet is used with a lighting fixture having a porcelain base, this being the kind of fixture with which my invention is particularly adapted for use, due 5 regard must be had to the fact that provision must be made for the flexing or movement of the terminals of the outlet as they require space in which to move; further, the openings for the terminals of the'plug must be properly made and arranged so that. in the assembled outlet. the terminals of the plug will be properly guided to the terminals of the outlet and will remain in. contact therewith when the plug is in position.

Therefore, it becomes necessary to provide an outlet of a construction which will fall within the limitations made necessary by. the

fact that ceramic material is used in the fixture because in molding and firing a porce lain fixture it is not possible to obtain that degree of accuracy in shape and size which can be had in a metal fixture.

The object of my invention is the provision of a convenience outlet, particularly adapted for use in connection with a lighting fixture of the character set forth and combined with the fixture and the outlet openings in a novel.

manner, to the end that the terminals of the outlet will be well insulated, not capable of being touched by the fingers of a person, and the outlet will possess durability'and permanency, without sacrifice of accessibility; further, to provide an outlet of this character which may be easily applied and wired and wherein the terminals will always be arranged so that they are in readiness to receive the terminals on the plug and will not be liable to become loosened or twist outof position.

Further objects will appear from the following description of certain embodiments of the invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a side wall lighting fixture provided with the present invention;

' Figure 2 is a rear elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Figure 5;

Figure 4 is a bottom View of the outlet block;

Figure 5 is a top view thereof; Figure 6 is a section through the complete outlet, when in position on the fixture;

Figure 7 is asimilar view of a modification; and y Figure 8 is a plan view of the insulating block, terminals and'wires being absent.

My convenience outlet may be used in connection with any lighting fixture but it is par ticularly adapted for use on side wall lighting fixtures, especially those which are made of ceramic material, such'a-s porcelain, for in-' stance.

The design of the fixture does not enter into the invention but that design which is illustrated appears in my design Patent N 0. 71,304, October 19, 1926 and application Serial No. 7 8,122, filed December 29, 1925.

T 1e basel of the fixture has slots2 through which the terminals of the plug may be inserted.

The outlet itself is secured to the inside of.

the base 1 as shown in Figure 2 so that it is wholly covered and protected and cannot be touched by the fingers of the user.

I have illustrated two forms or embodiments of the present improvements, said forms appearing, respectively, in Figures 6 and 7, assembled with the fixture whose base appears at 1.

The block 3 is of insulating material and connected to the base 1 by a screw 4 passing through a hole 5 therein and into a nut 6. The nut 6 holds in position on the block 3 a cover which encloses or covers the wires 7, terminals 8, and terminal fastening screws 9.

The cover is of insulating material as shown at 10. Preferably, there is an outer metal plate 11 with which the nut 6 engages.

The plate 11 may be omitted and the nut 6 engage with the insulating piece 10.

Referring to Figures 6 and 8, the insulating block 3 is provided with grooves 12 in which lie the wires 7. There are square countersinks 13 which receive and hold the terminals 8 to prevent the latter from twistin The block 3 is provided with screw threaded holes 14 into which are screwed the screws 9 which pass through openings in the terminals 8 and through loops formed in the ends of the wires 7. Thus the screws 9 serve the double purpose of securing the terminals 8 in the square countersinks 13 and clamping the ends of the wires 7 to said terminals. This will be best understood from Figure 3.

. The form of the invention described is shown in Figure 6 in assembled relation to the base 1 of the fixture. The terminals 8 depend below the lower face of the block 3 into cavities 15 which are provided in the inner face of the base 1 to accommodate said terminals and to permit them to be pressed aside when the terminals on the plug are inserted through the slots 2.

It will be observed that with the construction heretofore described, it'is unnecessary to mold any projecting parts on the inner face of the base 1 for the purpose of accommodating the outlet, but, on the other hand, the

cavities 15 are formed in the fixture when it is molded and fired. With such a construction it is an easy matter to form cavities 15 and slots 2 of the proper dimensions and relationship to fill the oflices heretofore specified. Furthermore, the projection of the terminals 8 into the cavities 15 affords additional means for anchoring the outlet on the base of the fixture and to prevent it from twisting.

A rubber or other elastic strip or cushion 16. Figure 6. is located in a groove or channel 17 which extends across the bottom of the block 3; the screw 4 passes through this cushion.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 7 the block 3 is received within a countersink 18 formed in the base 1 and the chambers or cavities 19 in the block 3 are made of suflicient size to accommodate the terminals 8 and to permit of the flexing or movement of the latter.

I claim:

1. In a convenience outlet for lighting ll);- tures, the combination with a lighting fixture body which is pierced with narrow slots leading from the exterior to the interior surface thereof, of a block of insulating material carried by the rear wall of said body and wholly covered thereby so as to be unexposed on the exterior of said body, said block having chambers therethrough and provided on one face with countersinks and with channels leading to said counter-sinks, of terminals received in said countersinks and engaged with the walls thereof whereby said terminals are prevented from twisting or turning. said terminals having contact parts projecting into thechambers and housed by the latter and movable laterally therein, and screws for holding the terminals in the countersinlrs and for attachment to the ends of the circuit wires, said channels being adapted to receive the circuit wires.

2. In a convenience outlet for lighting fir:- tures, the combination with a lighting fixture body which is pierced with narrow slots leading from the exterior to the interior surface thereof. of a block of insulating material carried by the rear all of said body and "wholly covered thereby so as to be unexposed on the exterior of said body, said block having chambers therethrough and provided on one face with countersinlrs and with channels leading to said eountersinks. of terminals received in said counter-sinks and engaged with the walls thereof whereby said terminals are prevented from twisting or turning. said terminals having contact parts projecting into the chambers and housed by the latter and movable laterally therein. screws for holding the terminals in the countersinks and for attachment to the ends of the circuit wires. said channels being adapted to receive th circuit wires. and an insulating cover overlying the block and covering the channels. the chambers, terminals and screws.

In testimony whereof I aflix mv signature.

ROY w. SCHWEIKER. 

